The 20 best US cities for finding a job in 2017

“New year, new city?” If you’re in the market for a fresh start and a new job, you may want to consider adopting this motto.

But not just any new city will do.

As it turns out, places like Miami and Salt Lake City are better for job seekers than New York City and Los Angeles right now, according to personal-finance site WalletHub.

To narrow down the 20 best cities for finding a job in 2017, WalletHub compared the 150 most populous US cities based on 23 metrics (like job opportunities, employment growth, monthly median salary, and safety) across two key dimensions (job market and socioeconomic environment, with a greater emphasis on the former).

17. Garland, Texas

Almost half of the persons with disabilities in Garland are employed, earning it the No. 3 spot for “disability friendliness of employers.” The Texas city is also the eighth best in terms of housing affordability and median annual household income.

14. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Despite being in the red in terms of employment growth, this coastal city earns its spot on the list with its access to internships and bright economic outlook, which places it at No. 2 in the latter category.

13. Honolulu, Hawaii

The capital of Hawaii earns the No. 1 spot for employment outlook, based on the Manpower Group Outlook survey, which asks 11,000 American hiring managers about their hiring plans for the quarter. Most of its employed inhabitants have private health insurance, earning it a No. 5 spot for benefits.

12. Miami, Florida

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No. of job opportunities rank (out of 150): 13

Employment growth: 0.37%

Median annual household income: $27,650

What Miami lacks in average earnings it makes up for with access to internships and employment outlook, earning No. 1 and No. 2 spots in these respective categories.

11. Peoria, Illinois

With Peoria’s No. 7 ranking for median annual household income, it’s easy to understand why the Illinois city also sees the seventh-smallest percentage of employed residents who live under the poverty line (4.3%).

9. Tempe, Arizona

Coming in at No. 7 for workplace accessibility, Tempe offers a number of jobs accessible by a 30-minute transit ride. It’s unsurprising, then, that its dwellers spend on average only eight hours a day working and commuting, earning it a No. 10 spot in the “Working and Commuting Time” category.

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

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No. of job opportunities rank (out of 150): 2

Employment growth: 2.89%

Median annual household income: $49,007

Ranking No. 2 for job opportunities and No. 7 for industry variety and low unemployment, Salt Lake City is a great place for today’s job-seekers, according to WalletHub.

2. Plano, Texas

Plano may be in the red in terms of employment growth, but this Texas town ranks No. 1 for the number of full-time employees compared to part-time, No. 3 for disability-friendliness of employers as well as for housing affordability, and No. 3 for families.

1. Scottsdale, Arizona

Boasting some of the highest median annual household income numbers and best employee benefits, Scottsdale comes in at No. 1, according to WalletHub. Its access to internships and low transportation costs also helped this Arizona city land the top spot.